This invention relates to accessory mounts for firearms, and more particularly to accessory mounts that may be quickly, easily and firmly secured to a firearm, and quickly and easily removed therefrom.
Various types of devices are useful as accessories for being mounted to firearms, examples of such accessories being target illuminators, laser sights and vertical handgrips. Such accessories are conventionally mounted to an interface apparatus descriptively referred to as an accessory mount, which has been secured to the firearm. Such accessory mounts may include rail interface systems well known in the art pertaining to firearms, and in particular with respect to submachine guns, carbines, rifles and other firearms used for military and police operations.
Against this background, the present invention provides an accessory mount that may be firmly secured to a firearm along the firearm""s barrel, and which is quickly and easily securable to and removable from the firearm. According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an accessory mount for a firearm having a longitudinal barrel, a rear support at the firearm""s receiver, and a front support, the accessory mount comprising the combination of: a first longitudinal mount housing having a rear end, the first housing positionable along the firearm""s barrel with the first housing""s rear end supported by the firearm""s rear support; a second longitudinal mount housing having a front end, the second housing positionable along the barrel with the second housing""s front end in the vicinity of the firearm""s front support; a plurality of inwardly directed longitudinally spaced-apart lugs on one of the first and second housings; a plurality of outwardly directed longitudinally spaced-apart flanges on the other of the first and second housings cooperating with the lugs for transversely securing the first and second housings together when the second housing is placed to the first housing and the first and second housings are longitudinally displaced relative to each other; and at least one adjustable member carried by one of the first and second housings and cooperating with the other of the first and second housings for longitudinally displacing the first and second housings relative to each other. The housing which includes the lugs further includes longitudinal channels along such lugs for slidingly containing the flanges of the other housing. At least one of the first and second housings includes a rail structure for mounting a firearm accessory thereto.
The at least one adjustable member is controlled by a user for urging the first housing longitudinally toward the firearm""s rear support, while urging the second housing longitudinally toward the firearm""s front support, longitudinally locking the transversely secured-together first and second housings against and between the firearm""s rear support and front support.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an accessory mount for a firearm having a longitudinal barrel, a rear support and a front support, the accessory mount comprising the combination of: a first semicylindrical mount housing having two longitudinal edges, an inner surface and a rear end, the first housing positionable along the firearm""s barrel with the first housing""s rear end supported by the firearm""s rear support, the first housing including longitudinally spaced-apart lugs on the inner surface adjacent to each of the edges; a second semicylindrical mount housing having two longitudinal edges and a front end, the second housing including longitudinally spaced-apart appendages adjacent to each of the edges of the second housing; the lugs being positioned on the first housing and the appendages being positioned on the second housing for cooperation between the lugs and the appendages when the second housing is placed to the first housing, for transversely securing the first housing to the second housing with the first housing and the second housing longitudinally movable relative to each other; and at least one longitudinally adjustable member carried by one of the housings for urging the first housing and the second housing in longitudinally opposite directions. The at least one longitudinally adjustable member urges the rear end of the first housing toward the firearm""s rear support while urging the front end of the second housing toward the firearm""s front support.
According to a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided firearm and accessory mount apparatus, comprising in combination: a firearm including a longitudinal barrel, a rear support and a front support; a first semicylindrical mount housing having two longitudinal edges, an inner surface and a rear end, the first housing positioned along the barrel with the first housing""s rear end supported by the firearm""s rear support, the first housing including longitudinally spaced-apart lugs on the inner surface adjacent to each of the edges; a second semicylindrical mount housing having two longitudinal edges and a front end, the second housing including longitudinally spaced-apart appendages adjacent to each of the edges of the second housing, the second housing placed to the first housing with the appendages of the second housing cooperating with the lugs of the first housing for transversely securing the first housing to the second housing with the first housing and second housing longitudinally movable relative to each other; and at least one longitudinally adjustable member carried by one of the housings longitudinally urging the rear end of the first housing against the firearm""s rear support and longitudinally urging the front end of the second housing against the firearm""s front support. The first housing includes two longitudinal channels defined by the lugs respectively adjacent the longitudinal edges of the first housing, and the appendages of the second housing include flanges slidably contained in the channels.
The present invention further provides a method of installing an accessory mount to a firearm, a preferred manner of practicing the invention comprising the steps of: providing a firearm having a longitudinal barrel, a rear support and a front support; providing a first semicylindrical mount housing having two longitudinal edges, an inner surface, a rear end, and longitudinally spaced-apart lugs on the inner surface adjacent the longitudinal edges of the first housing, the lugs defining two longitudinal channels therealong; positioning the first housing along the barrel with the first housing""s rear end supported by the firearm""s rear support; providing a second semicylindrical mount housing having two longitudinal edges, a front end, and longitudinally spaced-apart appendages adjacent to each of the edges of the second housing, the appendages including outwardly transverse flanges; placing the second housing to the first housing with the flanges positioned between the lugs and with the flanges slidably contained in the channels; and urging the first housing and the second housing in longitudinally opposite directions such that the flanges cooperate with the lugs for transversely securing the first and second housings to each other, the first housing""s rear end is longitudinally urged against the firearm""s rear support, and the second housing""s front end is longitudinally urged against the firearm""s front support. During the housing providing steps, at least one of the housings includes a rail structure for mounting a firearm accessory thereto.